My Dark Place

Have you ever wondered why all this unfortunate stuff happens to us? Where the justification is for all the crap we go through? Have you ever felt like you've endured more than your fair share of tragedy or heartache? If you've ever been there, then you know what it's like to be in a dark place. I think we've all been there at some point. Our dark places may not look the same, but they all feel the same. I've been in a dark place recently, and not many people know that. I don't often invite people into that place. There are times however, when you find that you're not alone in the darkness. There is another soul that has lost their way in the exact same pain and grief you've dealt with, the same pain you're dealing with. And suddenly, more than just being grateful for the company, you want nothing more than to lift that other person out of the darkness.
Why is there evil in this world? I can't give you a satisfying answer to that. I can't tell you why bad things happen to us. But it helps me get through it knowing that there's a chance I might meet someone in my darkness one day. Someone struggling with the same thing I've gone through. And there's a chance that I'll be able to say something to help them make sense of it. There's a chance I'll be able to lift them from that dark place. And if there's that chance, if my suffering now will somehow lessen someone else's suffering in the future, then I don't mind it so much. If mistakes turn into experience instead of regret, and hardships instead of weakening me, become the foundation on which I build my character, then I'm going to be okay. Time brings healing, and healing, perspective. And perspective in time may heal someone else.